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Russia woos Tesla as several regions compete for the right to build a Gigafactory

Credit: @JasemAsh via Tesla Owners Wisconsin/Twitter

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Tesla may still be facing possible delays in Germany due to the wait for Gigafactory Berlin’s final approval, but the EV maker is already receiving a far more welcome landscape in Russia. This was hinted at by several Russian governors following Elon Musk’s recent comments. 

The Tesla CEO recently spoke at Russia’s New Knowledge Forum, where he discussed the company’s plans to enter the country. Musk noted that Tesla’s entry into Russia was imminent, and he reportedly remarked that the EV maker is also considering the country as the potential site of an upcoming facility. These comments promptly inspired a series of responses from numerous Russian officials, several of whom were intent on persuading Musk to set up a factory in their respective states. 

Vladislav Shapsha, the head of the Kaluga region, immediately posted an invitation to Tesla on his Telegram channel. In his message, Shapsha remarked that Kaluga is completely ready for such a project. “Elon Musk announced the appearance of Tesla production in Russia at the New Knowledge marathon. I propose to open the first plant in the Kaluga region. The region is fully prepared for this,” he wrote. 

Shapsha’s invitation soon found company, with Andrei Vorobyov, the governor of the Moscow region, also issuing an open invitation for Tesla and Elon Musk. Posting on Twitter–the Tesla CEO’s preferred platform for social media–the Moscow governor noted that his region would be the best place for a Tesla factory. Vorobyov noted that his region is already experienced with carmaking, especially since Mercedes-Benz already has a facility there. 

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Not to be outdone, Alexander Brechalov, the head of the Udmurt Republic, posted an invitation on Twitter just minutes after the Moscow governor’s message. In his post, Brechalov noted that Tesla would be receiving tax breaks if the company decides to set up shop in Udmurt instead. He also stated that Tesla would be welcome in Udmurt, the “most entrepreneurial region in Russia. 

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Yevgeny Kuyvashev, the governor of the Sverdlovsk Region, called the Titanium Valley, a special economic zone in the area, a preferable location for an electric vehicle factory. In a post on Instagram, the governor hinted that Tesla could reduce the cost of establishing a plant in the region by 30%. He also issued an invitation to Elon Musk to attend the Innoprom industrial exhibition in July. 

Other Russian officials who opted to not use social media also joined the fray, such as the authorities of the Kaliningrad region, who remarked that they are ready to host the production of Tesla’s electric cars. Dmitry Lyskov, the head of the press service of the regional government, noted that authorities are optimistic about the idea of Tesla setting up a facility in Kaliningrad. Lyskov further remarked that Tesla’s arrival in the region would likely result in more jobs for residents in the area. 

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The governor of the Oryol (Eagle) Region Andrei Klychkov also issued a statement for the Tesla CEO. Using a bit of symbolism, the Oryol governor noted that the Eagle is a symbol of “fearlessness and a conquest of the peaks,” making it a perfect match for Tesla’s bold and ambitious philosophy. Klychkov also promised that Tesla would receive some “unique and exclusive officers” in logistics and infrastructure if it does establish a facility in the region. 

Don’t hesitate to contact us for news tips. Just send a message to tips@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Tesla teases new market entrance with confusing and cryptic message

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(Credit: Tesla)

Tesla teased its entrance into a new market with a confusing and what appeared to be cryptic message on the social media platform X.

The company has been teasing its entrance into several markets, including Africa, which would be a first, and South America, where it only operates in Chile.

In September, Tesla started creating active job postings for the Colombian market, hinting it would expand its presence in South America and launch in a new country for the first time in two years.

Tesla job postings seem to show next surprise market entry

The jobs were related to various roles, including Associate Sales Manager, Advisors in Sales and Delivery, and Service Technicians. These are all roles that would indicate Tesla is planning to launch a wide-scale effort to sell, manage, and repair vehicles in the market.

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Last night, Tesla posted its latest hint, a cryptic video that seems to show the outline of Colombia, teasing its closer than ever to market entry:

This would be the next expansion into a continent where it does not have much of a presence for Tesla. Currently, there are only two Supercharger locations on the entire continent, and they’re both in Chile.

Tesla will obviously need to expand upon this crucial part of the ownership experience to enable a more confident consumer base in South America as a whole. However, it is not impossible, as many other EV charging infrastructures are available, and home charging is always a suitable option for those who have access to it.

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Surprisingly, Tesla seems to be more concerned about these middle-market countries as opposed to the larger markets in South America, but that could be by design.

If Tesla were to launch in Brazil initially, it may not be able to handle the uptick in demand, and infrastructure expansion could be more difficult. Brazil may be on its list in the upcoming years, but not as of right now.

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Tesla expands crucial Supercharging feature for easier access

It is a useful tool, especially during hours of congestion. However, it has not been super effective for those who drive non-Tesla EVs, as other OEMs use UI platforms like Google’s Android Auto or Apple’s iOS.

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tesla supercharger
Credit: Tesla

Tesla has expanded a crucial Supercharging feature that helps owners identify stall availability at nearby locations.

Tesla said on Tuesday night that its “Live Availability” feature, which shows EV owners how many stalls are available at a Supercharger station, to Google Maps, a third-party app:

Already offering it in its own vehicles, the Live Availability feature that Teslas have is a helpful feature that helps you choose an appropriate station with plugs that are immediately available.

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A number on an icon where the Supercharger is located lets EV drivers know how many stalls are available.

It is a useful tool, especially during hours of congestion. However, it has not been super effective for those who drive non-Tesla EVs, as other OEMs use UI platforms like Google’s Android Auto or Apple’s iOS.

Essentially, when those drivers needed to charge at a Supercharger that enables non-Tesla EVs to plug in, there was a bit more of a gamble. There was no guarantee that a plug would be available, and with no way to see how many are open, it was a risk.

Tesla adding this feature allows people to have a more convenient and easier-to-use experience if they are in a non-Tesla EV. With the already expansive Supercharger Network being available to so many EV owners, there is more congestion than ever.

This new feature makes the entire experience better for all owners, especially as there is more transparency regarding the availability of plugs at Supercharger stalls.

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It will be interesting to see if Tesla is able to expand on this new move, as Apple Maps compatibility is an obvious goal of the company’s in the future, we could imagine. In fact, this is one of the first times an Android Auto feature is available to those owners before it became an option for iOS users.

Apple owners tend to get priority with new features within the Tesla App itself.

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Elon Musk’s Boring Co goes extra hard in Nashville with first rock-crushing TBM

The Boring Company’s machine for the project is now in final testing.

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Credit: The Boring Company/X

The Boring Company is gearing up to tackle one of its toughest projects yet, a new tunnel system beneath Nashville’s notoriously tough limestone terrain. Unlike the soft-soil conditions of Las Vegas and Austin, the Music City Loop will require a “hard-rock” boring machine capable of drilling through dense, erosion-resistant bedrock. 

The Boring Company’s machine for the project is now in final testing.

A boring hard-rock tunneling machine

The Boring Company revealed on X that its new hard-rock TBM can generate up to 4 million pounds of grip force and 1.5 million pounds of maximum thrust load. It also features a 15-filter dust removal system designed to keep operations clean and efficient during excavation even in places where hard rock is present.

Previous Boring Co. projects, including its Loop tunnels in Las Vegas, Austin, and Bastrop, were dug primarily through soft soils. Nashville’s geology, however, poses a different challenge. Boring Company CEO and President Steve Davis mentioned this challenge during the project’s announcement in late July.

“It’s a tough place to tunnel, Nashville. If we were optimizing for the easiest places to tunnel, it would not be here. You have extremely hard rock, like way harder than it should be. It’s an engineering problem that’s fairly easy and straightforward to solve,” Davis said.

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Nashville’s limestone terrain

Experts have stated that the city’s subsurface conditions make it one of the more complex tunneling environments in the U.S. The Outer Nashville Basin is composed of cherty Mississippian-age limestone, a strong yet soluble rock that can dissolve over time, creating underground voids and caves, as noted in a report from The Tennessean.

Jakob Walter, the founder and principal engineer of Haushepherd, shared his thoughts on these challenges. “Limestone is generally a stable sedimentary bedrock material with strength parameters that are favorable for tunneling. Limestone is however fairly soluble when compared to other rack materials, and can dissolve over long periods of time when exposed to water. 

“Unexpected encounters with these features while tunneling can result in significant construction delays and potential instability of the excavation. In urban locations, structures at the ground surface should also be constantly monitored with robotic total stations or similar surveying equipment to identify any early signs of movement or distress,” he said.

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